NBA

June

     This year's NBA Finals will be a good one. There are four previous finals MVP's Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker. Also the Spurs famous big three's era is coming to a close as they try to snag one more ring. While Miami is trying to live up to their famous not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, etc. campaign.

Matchups:

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Point Guard: Tony Parker vs Mario Chalmers. Parker is averaging 23 points and 7 dimes this postseason while Chalmers is averaging a steady 9 points, 3.5 assists, and 1 steal. TP is a great playmaker while Chalmers is just a fourth option PG who doesn't even bring the ball up the floor half of the time.Also, Parker was an MVP candidate this year so the Spurs win this one.

Shooting Guard: Danny Green vs Dwyane Wade. Wade seems to be the better choice, but he hasn't played great in these playoffs. Danny Green is shooting 43.1 % from three. He has also been averaging 9.6 points and 4 boards per game. D-Wade has averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Wade still wins this one for the Heat.

Small Forward: Lebron James vs Kawahi Leonard. Need I say more? The reigning MVP and Finals MVP has played great throughout these playoffs. Lebron has averaged 26 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists.along with 1.5 steals per game. Leonard has averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds, pretty good for being a third option. Kawahi will do his best to slow down Lebron but it isn't possible to completely neutralize him. The Heat win this one with LBJ.

Power Forward: Chris Bosh vs Tim Duncan. CBosh hasn't produced well throughout the postseason, and Tim Duncan has produced very well. Spurs win almost as easily as Lebron over Kawahi.

Center: Tiago Splitter vs Udonis Haslem. Both gus don't play more than 25 minutes a game, and neither averages more than 4 rebounds per game. But Haslem has the ability to get hot quickly and score some points so the Heat win this one.

Bench: Manu Ginobili has played decent over the postseason, but no one else off of the SA bench is a big factor. Ray Allen, Shane Battier, and Mike Miller can all produce for the Heat.

Coach: Greg Popavich vs Erik Spoelstra. Although Spoelstra is a great coach, Pop is one of the best ever. He and his staff always come up with effective game plans, and they almost always work. Pop and the Spurs win.

Prediction:

I think that the Spurs will win in 6 games. Tony Parker will be Finals MVP.

May

Should the NBA have a 1 year out of high school rule?

     Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant. When you hear those names you think of Hall of Famers, and some of the top basketball players ever. They were also drafted straight out of high school. There are two sides to every argument and that rule applies especially to this one.

Successes:         

 Kevin Garnett was the first player since Moses Malone (who was also a great player) to go to the NBA straight from HS. KG has averaged over 19 points, 10 rebounds, and just about 4 assists per game over his career. His career totals are more than 25,200 points, 13,800 rebounds, 5,200 assists, and 1,700 blocks and steals. KG has had a top 20 NBA career, and he’s topped it off with a NBA championship, an MVP award and more than a dozen All-star appearances.

                Kobe Bryant has also been a huge high school to NBA success and no one can argue with that. Over his career he has won 5 rings, 1 MVP,  4 time All-star game MVP, and he has been named to a all-NBA team 14 out of 16 years in his career. Kobe is also 4^th all time in scoring, with 31,617 points. Although he recently tore his Achilles, he will most likely come back next year playing great as he never let’s an injury slow him down.

                Lebron James is arguably the best success coming straight from high school. He was the most hyped high school player in the history of basketball. Through 9 years of playing he has won 4 MVP awards (the only other players with 4 MVP awards are Wilt Chamberlin [4], Michael Jordan [5], Bill Russell [5], Kareem Abdul-Jabbar [6]). He has also won a Finals MVP award. Lebron has already scored 21 K points in his career and he played 9 years.

Failures:

                Now onto the failures. First of we have the former #1 overall pick Kwame Brown. His career averages of 6.6 points and 5.5 boards are so horrific for a number 1 pick I don’t even want to look at them for more than a second. He has 11 years of experience which is crazy for his amount of production. Shaun Livingston also is a bust, but it isn’t completely his fault. He had a horrific knee injury. Shaun Livingston was chosen 4^th in the draft by the LA Clippers. He has career averages 6.7 points and 3.5 assists through 7 years of experience.

Bottom Line:     

As you can see drafting a player straight out of high school is always a questionable decision. I think that the NBA should have a rule where a player can come straight from high school, to make money for his family or for whatever reason. But, if the player chooses to go to college or do something else he should have to stay out for 2 years before entering the draft. That way if someone is good enough they can come from HS, but most players need to be developed so that they can’t go one and done.

April

My NBA Awards.

     This year has been a great one in the NBA. There have been monster jams ala Deandre Jordan over Brandon Knight, and Lebron James over Jason Terry. There have also been great streaks: the Denver Nuggets 16 game win streak, the Clippers 17 game win streak, and of course Miami's 27 game win streak. Also there is a great race for the scoring title. Kevin Durant is looking for his 4th consecutive scoring title, while Carmelo Anthony has other plans. Durant was leading Melo in the scoring race, but Melo went on a tear scoring 50, 40, 41, 36 in each of his last four games, and he is now leading Durant. Anthony is averaging 28.44 per game, and Durant is averaging 28.35.

Now onto the Awards!

Most Valuable Player-LeBron James (Miami Heat)

Rookie of the Year-Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)

Sixth Man of the Year-J.R. Smith (New York Knicks)

Defensive Player of the Year-Avery Bradley (Boston Celtics)

Coach of the Year-Tom Thibodeau (Chicago Bulls)

Most Improved Player of the Year-James Harden (Houston Rockets)

All-NBA First Team

G-Chris Paul

G-Kobe Bryant

F-Carmelo Anthony

F-Lebron James

F-Kevin Durant

All-NBA Second Team

G-Tony Parker

G-Russell Westbrook

G-James Harden

F-Tim Duncan

C-Dwight Howard

All-NBA Third Team

G-Stephon Curry

G-Dwyane Wade

F-Lamarcus Aldridge

F-Blake Griffin

C-Brook Lopez

All-Rookie First Team

G-Damian Lillard

G-Dion Waiters

G-Bradley Beal

F-Anthony Davis

C-Andre Drummond

All-Rookie Second Team

G-Patrick Beverly

F-Chris Copeland

F-Harrison Barnes

F-John Henson

C-Jonas Valanciunas

All-NBA Defensive Team

G-Avery Bradley

G-Thabo Sefolosha

F-Lebron James

F-Serge Ibaka

C-Tyson Chandler

March

Western Conference playoff picture

     This year the Western Conference playoff race has been tight as it usually is. Although the Thunder are the favorites this year, there are many teams that could win a series or two and upset them if they are hot. The playoff picture goes as follows, (as of 3/25):

1. San Antonio Spurs (53-17)
1. Tony Parker is back (averaging 21 ppg, 7.6 apg before his injury) and ready to play so the Spurs should be able to hold onto their 1 and 1/2 game lead over the Thunder. Manu Ginobili is finally back and playing like himself again (averaging 12.1 ppg and 4.7 apg). Popavich is resting his guys and getting them ready for the playoffs as always. Duncan is holding down the paint for probably one of his last successful season he’s averaging 9.9 boards per game, and 17.3 points per game.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (52-19)
1. The Thunder are trailing San Antonio by 1 and 1/2 games. If they can go on a run they could take the one spot, but that probably won't happen. Kevin Durant, who is leading the league in scoring, will have to play well while the season is winding down if the Thunder want to snatch the one seed, but if they drop a couple games in a row they could fall to the 3 seed.
3. Denver Nuggets (49-22)
1. Denver is currently riding a 15 game win streak. They are 3 and 1/2 games behind OKC. If Durant or Westbrook were to get injured that would open the door for Denver to sneak up a spot in the standings. The Nuggets fast style of play may not translate well into the playoffs though, because the playoffs are traditionally played at a slower pace than the regular season, and the lack of a star could hurt them in late game situations, but don't count them out.
4. L.A. Clippers (48-22)
1. The Clippers are a good team in the west, but they have fallen off while the Nuggets are on their win streak. They are only a 1/2 game behind the Nuggets. CP3 has been having a great year (16.8 ppg [19 in March], 9.7 dimes per game [10.8 in March], and 2.4 spg), and so is Blake (averaging 18.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg). Also Jamal Crawford is averaging almost 17 points per contest.
5. Memphis Grizzlies (47-22)
1. The Grizzlies were in the 3 spot about 2 weeks ago, but the Nuggets went on their run, and the Spurs got Tony Parker back so it will be tuff for them to get back that high. After trading Rudy Gay Z-BO has been averaging 16.2 and 12, Mike Conley is averaging a respectable 15.7 along with just under 7 dimes a game.
6. Golden State Warriors (40-31)
1. The Warriors are finally in the playoff race, Stephen Curry is having a career year averaging 22.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.6 steals. David Lee is averaging 18.5 points and 11.2 boards per contest. The Warriors might be able to steal a first round series against the 3 seed.
7. Houston Rockets (36-34)
1. James Harden has done a great job taking over the Rockets squad. He has carried the main scoring load for them averaging 26.3 ppg and 5 boards including 6 dimes, and even 2 steals. Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin combine for 28.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 9.6 assists, and 2.8 steals. The Rockets are a great young team that could make some noise in future years.
8. L.A. Lakers (36-34)
1. The Lakers are finally back into it, after having a disappointing start to the season. They are definitely not a team that a high seed would want to play in the first round.
9. Utah (34-36)
1. Utah had the 8 seed but they went on a road trip and dropped 4 in a row, while LA went on a win streak. The big men have been playing well and Mo Williams has had a decent year, but Marvin Williams hasn’t had a good enough year for them to do well.
10. Dallas (34-36)
1. Dirk hasn’t had the best year, but OJ Mayo has finally found his spot in the L. Next year if Dallas can acquire a decent FA they will be a playoff team.
11. Portland (33-37)
1. Portland is most likely out of a very tight western conference playoff race. Lillard has had a great rookie year and will most likely be the ROY. Aldridge also had an all-star caliber year. Portland might be able to grab a spot next year.

February

Who's the NBA's best team? Are the Heat too Hot to Handle?

     The Miami Heat are currently on a 9 game winning streak and they have a record of and they play they Philadelphia 76ers on the 23rd and the Cavs on the 24th. James as you know has been phenomenal as of late. He is averaging 27.2 points, 7 assists, and 8.2 boards per game and an incredible 31.63 PER (player efficiency rating[an average PER is 15 and the highest of all time during one season 31.84 by Wilt Chamberlain]). But are they the best team in the L?

     This year the San Antonio Spurs are a great squad. Tony Parker has had a career year, averaging 21.2 points and 7.7 assists per game. The Spurs are also a league leading 42-12 (winning 16 of their last 17), and Pops is doing a great job as he always of resting Duncan and Ginobili. Mr. Consistency is averaging 16.8 ppg and 9.6 boards, and a good 2.7 blocks. Ginobili is averaging a solid 12.3 ppg off the bench, and Kawahi Leonard is playing great defense averaging 1.8 steals per.

     The Thunder and Knicks are making a case to be the 2nd best team in the L. The Thunder could be a number one team but they don't have as great a record as the Spurs. Kevin Durant is averaging a league best and respectable 29 points, 7.5 boards, and 4.5 assists per game while shooting a great 51.6% from the field. Carmelo Anthony is the Knick who is making a case for MVP this year averaging a dominant 28.3 points and 6.5 boards. Melo has been a great clutch scorer this year, and he could help the Knicks make a deep playoff run.

     The Clippers are also a great contender, and the biggest story line is from their second unit. The Clippers second unit is the second best in the league at defensive efficiency. That's not just second best second unit that is second best unit starting or backup. But other than their great second string, they have a couple good starters that you might have heard of, such as; Blake Griffin who is averaging 18.5 points and 8.7 boards per. CP3 is also averaging over 16 points per contest along with 9.6 assists and 2.6 steals. The Clippers are a great team to make an upset out of the West.

Current Rankings:

Best Team:

1. San Antonio Spurs (44-12)
2. Miami Heat (38-14)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (39-15)
4. LA Clippers (39-18)
5. New York Knicks (32-20)

Honorable Mention: Indiana Pacers (34-21) and Chicago (32-23[if they get Derrick Rose back])

Biggest title threat:

1. Miami Heat (38-14)

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (39-15)

3. San Antonio Spurs (44-12)

4. LA Clippers (39-18) 

5. The Rest

NBA All-Star Weekend Festivities.

     This is going to be a great all-star weekend. There is going to be a dunk contest, a 3-point competition, skills challenge, Rising Stars game, Celebrity game, all-star game, and shooting stars competition.

     The participants in Friday nights celebrity game include reigning MVP Kevin Hart and Usain Bolt and Clyde Drexler. Too see the full rosters click here.

     The BBVA Rising Stars challenge will be a great game played between first and second year players. Team Chuck consists of Anthony Davis (New Orleans), Kenneth Faried (Denver), and others. The young guns on Shaq's team include Damian Lillard (Portland), Kyrie Irving (Cleveland), to see the full squads follow this link. This will be a great event because it is like a rookie-sophomore all-star game, except the two are mixed together. I think that team Shaq will win, but team Chuck will have more rebounds because team Shaq only has one PF (Andrew Nicholson) and one Center (Tyler Zeller), but team Shaq will still win.

     The 3-point competition and Slam Dunk contest are always big hits, but this year the Dunk Contest won't be all that great. Gerald Green  (2007 champ), James White, Eric Bledsoe, Kenneth Faried, Terrence Ross, and returning champ Jeremy Evans. I think that Bledsoe has as good a shot as anyone in this contest. As for the 3-point contest the field consists of Paul George, Kyrie Irving, and Steve Novak from the East, and Ryan Anderson, Matt Bonner, and Stephon Curry from the West. I predict that either Novak, Bonner or Curry will win.

     The Taco Bell Skills Challenge will be fun to watch this year. In the East Jrue Holiday, Brandon Knight, and Jeff Teague will compete. In the West Tony Parker, Daminan Lillard, and Jeremy Lin will be participating. I think that Parker will win once again. The Sears Shooting Stars competition is also Saturday night. James Harden, Sam Cassell and Tina Thompson will be one squad. Russell Westbrook, Maya Moore, and Rober Horry will be another.Also Chris Bosh, Swin Cash and Mugsy Bogues. Brook Lopez and  Dominique Wilkins along with Tamika Catchings will play as a team.

     The main event (the all star game), will be on Sunday. I think that LBJ and KD will be CO-MVPs and they final score will be 148-145 East getting the W.

How should LA handle their "situation"?

     Yesterday the LA Lakers learned that Pau Gasol will be out 4-6 weeks after he injured his foot against the Nets. Now both Pau and Dwight are out. Dwight should be back soon, but for now LA will most likely start backup center Robert Sacre (a Gonzaga grad) and Earl Clark. Clark has been playing well lately but he is no Pau or Dwight. The Lakers defense allows 6 more points per game without Pau Gasol in the lineup. Although that doesn't sound like much that is enough to lose them the close games that they have been in lately.

     I personally think that the Lakers need to trade one of the two big men. Dwight would give the most trade stock, plus I don't think he'll resign next year. Finally Kobe and Howard don't get along, and Kobe is urging Superman on to play, but Howard doesn't think that Kobe understands. Although Kobe has however played through his fair share of games. Jerry Buss should definitely try to get Howard out of there before the All-Star break.

January

Allen Iverson, coming back?

     Allen Iverson was offered a D-League contract from the Dallas Mavericks team (Texas Legends), but he declined respectively stating "I thank Donnie (the Mavericks president of basketball operations) and Dallas for the consideration, and while I think that the D-League is a great opportunity, it is not the route for me." The Legends front office includes former slam dunk champion Spudd Webb.

     The Answer is now 37 and still hoping to make a comeback. He also stated that his return isn't entirely up to him and that he would have to convince a team that he could still ball with the best of 'em.

Was the Memphis and Cleveland Trade a good one?

Here is Marreese Speights who is now a Cav

     Memphis and Cleveland just executed a trade that helped the Grizzlies shed $6 million off their payroll. The Grizzlies traded Marreese Speights, guard Wayne Ellington, guard Josh Selby and a future first-round draft pick to the Cavs for forward Jon Leuer. Although this may sound crazy the Grizzlies did shed their 6 million so they will have more breathing room next season to pay for Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph's combined $50 million contract next year. If the Grizzlies wouldn't have made this trade, it is possible that they would have lost Z-Bo or Marc Gasol next year. This doesn't seem like the best trade now but it will turn out to help the Grizzlies in the long run along with giving Kyrie Irving and the Cavs a little more help.

Is David Stern becoming stricter with the players?

     This year it seems as  though David Stern has been quick the trigger on suspensions this year. Rajon Rondo has gotten multiple one game suspensions this year, and Carmelo Anthony just got a one gamer for roughing it up with KG (they got into a scuffle after KG supposedly started talking trash about Melo's wife [although KG talks a lot of trash] Doc Rivers said it didn't happen). David Stern has handed out over 10 suspensions in a couple years. That doesn't sound like a lot but it is actually quite a bit.

     Rajon Rondo has been the worst offender this year. He has gotten multiple suspensions for bumping into or messing with the refs. This is not the first time the Celtics all-star point guard has gotten into trouble with the L. Last year he also had multiple suspensions for messing with the refs. Stern is probably going to leave the league in a couple of years, so this is not a huge deal but the NBA PA (Players Association) wants to put an end to these suspensions.

December



How good are the Clippers?

CP3 and Griffin

     The LA Clippers are currently 18-6 and on a 10 game winning streak. Chris Paul is giving them some great production. He's averaging 15.1 points, 2.58 steals, and 8.3 assists in only 32.2 minutes per game. Additionaly CP3 has a 4.2 assist turnover ratio which is amazing. Also Blake Griffin is having a good overall year averaging 19.2 points and roughly 9 rebounds. In addtition Jamal Crawford has a good 14.1 points per game and 94% from the free throw line.

Blake throws one down

     The Clippers also have some great bench players such as Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes. Those two combine for 19.5 points per game, also they average exactly one block per game together. In addtion the Clippers are the 4th best defensive team in the league. They only allow an average of 93.1 points per game which is good enough for 4th in the L. I think that LA could be a great contendor this year.





November

Is Memphis a legit contender?

     This year Memphis currently has the best winning percentage at .824. They allow the least points in the L at 91.1 per. They are a steady 11 in the rebounds per game and points per game and 18th in assists per game. The Grizzlies have a good roster this year. They have Mike Conley at PG, Tony Allen at SG, Rudy Gay at SF, Zach Randolf at the 4, and Marc Gasol at the 5 spot. This is a great lineup. Although they don't have any superstars they do have a lineup that can work together to get wins. They also have a good 6, 7 punch with Jerryd Bayless and Marreese Speights. This years Grizzlies squad will contend very well in the playoffs, but the question is will they contend for the title?

Rudy Gay shows his highflying skills.

     The Grizzlies lost in the first round of the playoffs last year in 7 games against the Clippers. But without any big new additions they have the benefit of chemistry. This squad should be able to make a title run this year if they want to.

          written by: jgohlke34

How much longer can the Lakers be contenders?

     The LA Lakers have a revamped line-up this year with a starting 5 of Steve Nash Point guard), Kobe Bryant (Shooting Guard), Metta World Peace [Formally known as Ron Artest] (Small Forward), Pau Gasol (Power Forward), and Dwight Howard (Center). This is a championship caliber lineup now, but it might not be for much longer.

     Kobe Bryant who is 34 years old will be efficient in a couple of years but he won't average 30 points like he can now. Also Steve Nash who is now 38 won't be able to perform at a fast pace like LA would like him to. Dwight Howard will be able to hold down the fort for about 6-8 more years but after that LA will have to completely rebuild their squad. This years Lakers have a good shot at winning a title with a starting 5 that could do decent in an all-star game. Overall with his squad LA will be able to contend for a title for probably 2-3 more years.

          written by: jgohlke34

Are the Knicks for real?
     The New York Knickerbockers are the only undefeated team left in the NBA. The Knicks acquired  Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, and Ronnie Brewer from free agency during the off season and they have helped them with their great start this year. If the Knicks keep this up the might be able to take the Heat's to spot in the East and maybe even the L.
     The Knicks have a great amount of star power such as Carmelo Anthony and A'mare Stoudamire. But with the editions over the off season they have been able to make a huge impact in the league. Additionally Mike Brown has made the Knicks a much better defensive team. He has gotten all of his players  to play their hardest on offense and defense. As a result of that the Knicks have one of the top defenses in the L. Jason Kidd has gotten the Knicks all involved this year on offense. Carmelo Anthony leads the team with 23.8 ppg, but they all have gotten involved and it has been less of a show and more of a team game this year. I think that the New York Knicks will be able to make a real impact in the league this year.
          written by: jgohlke34

How will the Lakers turn out with D'Antoni?

     LA just recently fired Mike Brown. He didn't even coach a full 82 games before they let him go. However once they let go of him they went into talks with Phil Jackson. This would have been the best option for them since Jackson knows Kobe and he practically invented the triangle which would benefit these LA Lakers just as much if not more than the old LA teams he coached.

     Instead of hiring Phil they settled for the second option D'Antoni. Mike is a decent coach, he coached Steve Nash in Phoenix but other than that he doesn't know anyone on LA. He is a offensive minded coach were as Jackson coaches both sides of the ball at a hall of fame level. Mike D'Antoni is a great fast break coach which he proved as he coached Nash and Amare during his years with the Suns. Overall Phil would have definetly been the better option.

          written by: jgohlke34

Preseason

Can the Heat Repeat?

     Last year when the Heat won the championship they looked strong, but so did the Thunder. Dwayne Wade didn't look as good as previous years and Chris Bosh was limping through on an injury but LBJ had an amazing series against the Thunder. He played well in and out. It is obvious that his post moves training last summer with Hakeem Olajuwon payed off. But as for the Thunder KD and Russel Westbrook will be wanting revenge on the fully loaded Heat (the Heat added Ray Allen during free agency). Their starting lineup for the season is still questionable and head coach Erik Spoelstra will have his hands full trying to keep everyone happy with their playing time. But the question is can the Heat repeat?
          written by: jgohlke34

How will Melo play this year after his amazing performance at the London games?

     After Melo's phenomenal game against Nigeria (he had 10 threes in that game and 37 points in 14 MIN), he has won a NCAA championship, a FIBA championship, and a Olympic gold medal. This year Carmelo and the Knicks hope to win the NBA championship this season, the only way anthony can make that happen is by knowing when to distribute the ball. He can score at will, but most people don't know that he is a great passer when he wants to be. Anthony will have to have an amazing season and he must hope that the Heat fall out of focus.
          written by: jgohlke34

Do the Celtics have anything left in the tank?

     Many people think that the Celtics have nothing left in the tank but I disagree. I believe that if the C's can pull together for one last run they can make it deep into the playoffs. Although the Celtics lost Sugar Ray in free agency they have players that can step up and replace him such as Avery Bradley and long time Mav's vet Jason Terry. The Celtics might not be able to fill Ray's void completely but with Jet Terry and Bradley at least they can try.
     The Boston fans can also be proud of their team's draft. They managed to grab Fab Melo (Syracuse), Jared Sullenger (Ohio State), both top notch big men and Kris Joseph (Syracuse) a great slasher. In the summer league Fab Melo and Sullenger played well. They proved that they will be able to hang with the NBA vets. With those new additions the Celtics should be able to make one last push at the ultimate goal of an NBA title.
          written by: jgohlke34

Can the Thunder win their first title ever this year?

     The Oklahoma City Thunder have a good team this year. Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook need to have the best seasons of their career to be able to knock of the reining world champion Miami Heat. James Harden and Serge Ibaka will play a big role along with KD and Westbrook. Serge will have to keep up with his blocks and James must continue to explode off the bench. Additionaly with the addition of D-Fish at the end of last season they have a few vets on a young crew.
     Thabo Sefalosha and Kendrick Perkins have to play well on the defensive side of the ball. Thabo must be able to lock down the perimeter threats such as Kobe Bryant and K-Perk has to keep the bigs out of the middle such as the LA Lakers new addition Dwight Howard. Young head coach Scott Brooks also needs to be able to control his young players. Can the Thunder win their first title ever this year?
          written by: jgohlke34

Will Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant be able to win the NBA title this year?

     The new look Lakers have a great lineup this year. With a great guard like Steve Nash they finally have the distributing PG that they have always needed. In addition with the blockbuster trade this summer that sent the LA Lakers Dwight Howard; although they had to ship Andrew Bynum out, I'm sure that every NBA GM would take Howard over Bynum. With the new look in the middle the Lakers should be able to fufill their title hopes this year.
     Although last season the Lakers went through a tough trasition while losing Phil Jackson this year even though Mike Brown is their coach they will still be able to make things happen. Kobe's career will end sooner than you'd think. I'm not saying he's gonna retire soon but he is slowly faded into the backround of other young stars such as KD and Derrick Rose. But the Lakers will be able to continue on contending just as they always have. Everyone must understand that from now on Dwight Howard will be the new centerpiece for the frachise.
          written by: jgohlke34